Latest news with #healthinformation
Medical News Today
6 days ago
- Business
- Medical News Today
HIPAA rights: What they are, who they apply to, and more
What are they? Who must follow them? Who does not? FAQ Summary The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects patient health information and provides individuals with rights to control the use and disclosure of their health information. The United States enacted HIPAA in 1996. HIPAA applies to organizations, healthcare professionals, and insurers who handle patient data. This article looks at HIPAA rights, who must follow HIPAA regulations, and which information HIPAA protects. FreshSplash/Getty Images HIPAA rights are federal laws that protect a person's privacy and security in relation to their health information. The Right to Access allows people to access their protected health information (PHI). Healthcare professionals must provide individuals access to their PHI within 30 days of requesting it. People can also request an electronic or hard copy of the information. The Right to Access includes all health-related information, except information that a healthcare professional collects for legal purposes or psychotherapy notes. An individual can request a change to their PHI if they believe their health information is incomplete or inaccurate. The covered entity must respond to the request for amendment within 60 days of receiving the request. A covered entity refers to a healthcare professional or organization that handles patient data and is required to follow HIPAA regulations. An individual has the Right to Request Restrictions on the use and disclosure of their PHI. This includes: disclosure to people involved in an individual's healthcare or billing disclosure to notify others, such as family members, of a person's condition, location, or death If covered entities agree to the request, they must follow the restrictions, except when treating someone in a medical emergency. Covered entities have no obligation to agree to restriction requests. They have a right to request an alternative method of communication to the one that the covered entity may typically use. People can also request a certain address for receiving communication. Accounting of Disclosures is a record detailing why and when a covered entity disclosed a person's PHI, which people have a right to access. Covered entities do not need to account for disclosures for healthcare operations, treatment, or payment. Covered entities must keep accounting of disclosure records for six years. A covered entity must receive written authorization from the individual to use or disclose any PHI that is not for healthca re operations, treatment, or payment purposes. An individual has the right to revoke their authorization of the use or disclosure of their PHI at any time. People must make the request in writing, which becomes effective once the covered entity receives it. The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires covered entities to provide a Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) and abide by the terms. These terms include: how the covered entity may use or disclose a person's PHI the duties of the covered entity to protect the privacy of the individual, and a description of their rights stating the right a person has to complain to the covered entity and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) if they believe there has been a violation of their privacy rights providing a point of contact for making complaints or requesting further information The following covered entities must follow HIPAA regulations: Health plans: This includes health insurance companies, company health plans, and government healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. This includes health insurance companies, company health plans, and government healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Healthcare providers: This describes providers who carry out electronic transactions, such as sending a health bill electronically. This includes most providers such as hospitals, clinics, healthcare professionals, pharmacies, and nursing homes. This describes providers who carry out electronic transactions, such as sending a health bill electronically. This includes most providers such as hospitals, clinics, healthcare professionals, pharmacies, and nursing homes. Healthcare clearinghouses: A healthcare clearinghouse is a third-party organization that processes data between entities, such as between healthcare providers and insurance companies. A healthcare clearinghouse is a third-party organization that processes data between entities, such as between healthcare providers and insurance companies. Business associates: Business associates of covered entities must also follow HIPAA regulations. Business associates are people or companies outside of the covered entity who may need to access PHI, such as lawyers, IT specialists, or billing companies. In many cases, the following organizations do not have to follow HIPAA regulations: employers schools and school districts law enforcement agencies state agencies, such as child protective services municipal offices life insurers workers compensation carriers The following information is protected under HIPAA regulations: information in a person's medical record from healthcare professionals conversations between healthcare professionals about a person's healthcare and treatment, such as between a doctor and a nurse personal information stored in a health insurer's computer system a person's billing information at a clinic most health information that a covered entity holds about an individual Under HIPAA regulations, health information is protected in the following ways: safeguards that covered entities and business associates must put in place to protect PHI and prevent improper use or disclosure of PHI covered entities must only use, disclose, or request the 'minimum necessary' information to meet the intended purpose procedures that covered entities must put in place to limit who is able to access health information covered entities must carry out training programs for employees on protecting health information Under HIPAA regulations, health information can be looked at and received for the following reasons: coordinating a person's treatment and care healthcare payments other people involved in a person's healthcare or billing, unless the person objectsensuring cleanliness, safety, and proper care in healthcare facilities public health protection, such as reporting local flu outbreaks necessary police reports, such as gunshot wounds However, an individual's health information cannot be used or shared without their written permission unless this law allows it. For example, without authorization from the individual, a provider generally cannot: give an individual's information to their employer use or share their information for marketing or advertising purposes sell their information HIPAA rights help protect the privacy and use of an individual's health information. Examples of HIPAA rights include the Right to Access, the Right to Request Amendments, and the Right to Request Restrictions. Certain covered entities must comply with HIPAA rights, such as health plans, providers, and clearinghouses. People may want to contact a healthcare professional or the HHS for more information about HIPAA rights. Health Insurance / Medical Insurance Regulatory Affairs / Drug Approvals
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Democrats may require 2028 contenders to release full health information after disastrous Biden campaign
Some Democrats are discussing plans to require 2028 contenders to release their full health information after the disastrous campaign of former President Joe Biden. In 2028, candidates who were more disconnected from the Biden White House may be able to garner more credibility with voters among those who feel betrayed by party leadership. Democratic strategists speaking to The Bulwark said a consensus is forming that whoever campaigns for the party's nomination in 2028 will have to share a large amount of health information and a more extensive health report than previously expected. There's also a belief that anyone over 70 won't run. Biden recently announced an 'aggressive' prostate cancer diagnosis, which raised additional concerns regarding his health while in office. The former president was forced out of the 2024 race after a catastrophic debate performance against President Donald Trump in June last year, and he was replaced atop the Democratic ticket by then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Democratic strategists have also grown tired of the former president claiming he would have won had he stayed in the race. Anthony Coley, a Democratic strategist who worked for the Biden administration, told The Hill last week, 'Would it be nice if Biden finally accepted and admitted he shouldn't have run for a second term? Sure.' 'But candidly, does it really matter at this point? History will have the final say — and its first draft isn't looking good,' he added. This comes as Harris is reportedly considering a run for California governor next year, but has yet to announce a campaign even as the race takes shape around her. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who's running to replace California Governor Gavin Newsom, said in a statement on Tuesday that Harris and Biden's former Health and Human Services Secretary, Xavier Becerra, who has announced that he's also running for governor in the state, should apologize for covering up Biden's health status. Villaraigosa referenced the recent book Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson. 'What I've seen in news coverage and excerpts from the new book 'Original Sin' is deeply troubling,' he said. 'At the highest levels of our government, those in power were intentionally complicit or told outright lies in a systematic cover up to keep Joe Biden's mental decline from the public.' 'Now, we have come to learn this cover up includes two prominent California politicians who served as California Attorney General – one who is running for Governor and another who is thinking about running for Governor,' he added. 'Those who were complicit in the cover up should take responsibility for the part they played in this debacle, hold themselves accountable, and apologize to the American people,' Villaraigosa said. 'I call on Kamala Harris and Xavier Becerra to do just that – and make themselves available to voters and the free press because there's a lot of questions that need to be answered.' The revelations regarding Biden's decline in office are set to have significant effects on how the Democratic Party conducts its elections and how candidates run their campaigns. It may also affect the demands placed on candidates, the media strategies they choose to enact, and the scheduling of presidential primaries. While every election leads to soul-searching within a party, the 2024 loss and Biden's handling of his campaign led to a significant trust issue that the party will have to confront, Democratic strategists have said, according to The Bulwark. Some strategists compared it to the authorization of the war in Iraq, which shaped the contours of the 2008 primary and which saw the campaigns of those who backed the invasion crater. 'Obama was fortunate because he wasn't in D.C., so it allowed him to have natural distance. He could say 'I'm an outsider' without saying 'I'm an outsider',' a Democratic strategist who worked on a 2008 campaign told the outlet. Former President Barack Obama wasn't in Congress in 2002 and, as such, he didn't have to cast a ballot on the resolution authorizing the war in Iraq.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Why we fall for fake health information — and how it spreads faster than facts
Should you share that health-related Instagram post? (Catherine McQueen/Moment via Getty Images) In today's digital world, people routinely turn to the internet for health or medical information. In addition to actively searching online, they often come across health-related information on social media or receive it through emails or messages from family or friends. It can be tempting to share such messages with loved ones — often with the best of intentions. As a global health communication scholar studying the effects of media on health and development, I explore artistic and creative ways to make health information more engaging and accessible, empowering people to make informed decisions. Although there is a fire hose of health-related content online, not all of it is factual. In fact, much of it is inaccurate or misleading, raising a serious health communication problem: Fake health information — whether shared unknowingly and innocently, or deliberately to mislead or cause harm — can be far more captivating than accurate information. This makes it difficult for people to know which sources to trust and which content is worthy of sharing. Fake health information can take many forms. For example, it may be misleading content that distorts facts to frame an issue or individual in a certain context. Or it may be based on false connections, where headlines, visuals or captions don't align with the content. Despite this variation, such content often shares a few common characteristics that make it seem believable and more shareable than facts. For one thing, fake health information often appears to be true because it mixes a grain of truth with misleading claims. For example, early in the COVID-19 pandemic, false rumors suggested that drinking ethanol or bleach could protect people from the virus. While ethanol or bleach can indeed kill viruses on surfaces such as countertops, it is extremely dangerous when it comes into contact with skin or gets inside the body. Another marker of fake health information is that it presents ideas that are simply too good to be true. There is something appealingly counterintuitive in certain types of fake health information that can make people feel they have access to valuable or exclusive knowledge that others may not know. For example, a claim such as 'chocolate helps you lose weight' can be especially appealing because it offers a sense of permission to indulge and taps into a simple, feel-good solution to a complex problem. Such information often spreads faster because it sounds both surprising and hopeful, validating what some people want to believe. Sensationalism also drives the spread of fake health information. For instance, when critics falsely claimed that Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical adviser to the president at the time, was responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, it generated a lot of public attention. In a study on vaccine hesitancy published in 2020, my colleagues and I found that controversial headlines in news reports that go viral before national vaccination campaigns can discourage parents from getting their children vaccinated. These headlines seem to reveal sensational and secret information that can falsely boost the message's credibility. The internet has created fertile ground for spreading fake health information. Professional-looking websites and social media posts with misleading headlines can lure people into clicking or quickly sharing, which drives more and more readers to the falsehood. People tend to share information they believe is relevant to them or their social circles. In 2019, an article with the false headline 'Ginger is 10,000x more effective at killing cancer than chemo' was shared more than 800,000 times on Facebook. The article contained several factors that make people feel an urgency to react and share without checking the facts: compelling visuals, emotional stories, misleading graphs, quotes from experts with omitted context and outdated content that is recirculated. Visual cues like the logos of reputable organizations or photos of people wearing white medical coats add credibility to these posts. This kind of content is highly shareable, often reaching far more people than scientifically accurate studies that may lack eye-catching headlines or visuals, easy-to-understand words or dramatic storylines. But sharing content without verifying it first has real-world consequences. For example, studies have found that COVID-19-related fake information reduces people's trust in the government and in health care systems, making people less likely to use or seek out health services. Unfounded claims about vaccine side effects have led to reduced vaccination rates globally, fueling the return of dangerous diseases, including measles. Social media misinformation, such as false claims about cinnamon being a treatment for cancer, has caused hospitalizations and even deaths. The spread of health misinformation has reduced cooperation with important prevention and treatment recommendations, prompting a growing need for medical professionals to receive proper training and develop skills to effectively debunk fake health information. In today's era of information overload, when anyone can create and share content, being able to distinguish between credible and misleading health information before sharing is more important than ever. Researchers and public health organizations have outlined several strategies to help people make better-informed decisions. Whether health care consumers come across health information on social media, in an email or through a messaging app, here are three reliable ways to verify its accuracy and credibility before sharing: Use a search engine to cross-check health claims. Never rely on a single source. Instead, enter the health claim into a reputable search engine like Google and see what trusted sources have to say. Prioritize information from established organizations like the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United Nations Children's Fund or peer-reviewed journals like The Lancet or Journal of the American Medical Association. If multiple reputable sources agree, the information is more likely to be reliable. Reliable fact-checking websites such as and Snopes can also help root out fake information. Evaluate the source's credibility. A quick way to assess a website's trustworthiness is to check its 'About Us' page. This section usually explains who is behind the content, their mission and their credentials. Also, search the name of the author. Do they have recognized expertise or affiliations with credible institutions? Reliable websites often have domains ending in .gov or .edu, indicating government or educational institutions. Finally, check the publication date. Information on the internet keeps circulating for years and may not be the most accurate or relevant in the present context. If you're still unsure, don't share. If you're still uncertain about the accuracy of a claim, it's better to keep it to yourself. Forwarding unverified information can unintentionally contribute to the spread of misinformation and potentially cause harm, especially when it comes to health. Questioning dubious claims and sharing only verified information not only protects against unsafe behaviors and panic, but it also helps curb the spread of fake health information. At a time when misinformation can spread faster than a virus, taking a moment to pause and fact-check can make a big difference. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Angshuman Kashyap is a doctoral candidate at the Department of Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
